Psalm 48

A Song. A Psalm by the sons of Korah.
1 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, in the city of our God, in his holy mountain. 2 Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion, on the north sides, the city of the great King. 3 God has shown himself in her citadels as a refuge. 4 For, behold, the kings assembled themselves, they passed by together. 5 They saw it, then they were amazed. They were dismayed. They hurried away. 6 Trembling took hold of them there, pain, as of a woman in travail. 7 With the east wind, you break the ships of Tarshish. 8 As we have heard, so we have seen, in the city of the LORD of Armies, in the city of our God. God will establish it forever. Selah. 9 We have thought about your loving kindness, God, in the middle of your temple. 10 As is your name, God, so is your praise to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is full of righteousness. 11 Let Mount Zion be glad! Let the daughters of Judah rejoice, Because of your judgements. 12 Walk about Zion, and go around her. Number its towers. 13 Mark well her bulwarks. Consider her palaces, that you may tell it to the next generation. 14 For this God is our God forever and ever. He will be our guide even to death.

Jerusalem is the city of our God: none on earth render him due honour except the citizens of the spiritual Jerusalem. Happy the kingdom, the city, the family, the heart, in which God is great, in which he is all. There God is known. The clearer discoveries are made to us of the Lord and his greatness, the more it is expected that we should abound in his praises. The earth is, by sin, covered with deformity, therefore justly might that spot of ground, which was beautified with holiness, be called the joy of the whole earth; that which the whole earth has reason to rejoice in, that God would thus in very deed dwell with man upon the earth. The kings of the earth were afraid of it. Nothing in nature can more fitly represent the overthrow of heathenism by the Spirit of the gospel, than the wreck of a fleet in a storm. Both are by the mighty power of the Lord.

Verses 8–14

We have here the improvement which the people of God are to make of his glorious and gracious appearances for them. Let our faith in the word of God be hereby confirmed. Let our hope of the stability of the church be encouraged. Let our minds be filled with good thoughts of God. All the streams of mercy that flow down to us, must be traced to the fountain of His loving-kindness. Let us give to God the glory of the great things he has done for us. Let all the members of the church take comfort from what the Lord does for his church. Let us observe the beauty, strength, and safety of the church. Consider its strength; see it founded on Christ the Rock, fortified by the Divine power, guarded by Him who neither slumbers nor sleeps. See what precious ordinances are its palaces, what precious promises are its bulwarks, that you may be encouraged to join yourselves to it: and tell this to others. This God, who has now done such great things for us, is unchangeable in his love to us, and his care for us. If he is our God, he will lead and keep us even to the last. He will so guide us, as to set us above the reach of death, so that it shall not do us any real hurt. He will lead us to a life in which there shall be no more death.